“Truly exciting Hispanic Cuisine”

The El Meson story reflects the Castro family's motto, "Si, se puede"-"Yes, we can." And El Meson represents the best of the the American dream: a labor of love that success hasn't spoiled.
In the first two weeks of every year, the restaurant closes for its January culinary expedition. This is the time that the family ventures out to find new recipes, concepts, and ideas for the coming year. The Castro's have traveled through out Central America, South America, Caribbean, and Spain. Every year it changes from a road trip in the Chiva (bus) to taking a group of devoted customers with us, to flying in and out of many Hispanic countries. The mission is always the same, going to the heart of the markets and learning about the foods and cultures that unite and intrigue us.

My 2 cents: I've typically heard good things about El Meson, and I think it's pretty interesting that they shut the restaurant down every year for 2 weeks to go on a 'culinary expedition' to visit Hispanic countries to influence for their menu. I hate to say, though, that I wasn't too impressed. I did love the ambiance - the place is huge and has a lot of character. The service was good, as well. However, I found the food to be overpriced and the quality wasn't anything to write home about. The ceviche and homemade chorizo were disappointing, in particular. They do have a nice variety of tapas and main dishes, so it could be that we didn't make the best selections. I wouldn't discourage anyone from trying this spot, but I won't be quick to recommend it, either.